Thread holder and cutter



June 26, 1951 T.' E. CARROLL 2,558,039

- THREAD HOLDER AND CUTTER Filed July 9, 1949 INVENTOR THGMAJ 5. Cfl/P/POLL H /5 ATTORNEYS Patented June 26, 1951 UNITED STATES i PATENT OFFICE f 7 """atsaoes THREAD HOLDER AND CUTTER Thomas E. Carroll, flew York, Y.

Application July 9, 1949, Serial No. 103,796

3 Claims. (01. 112-252)- This invention relates to thread cutters for sewing machines and particularly to an improved attachment for sewing machines which facilitates the cutting of the thread following a sewing operation.

Numerous types of thread cutting attachments are available, and some have been in use for many years. All are subject to various defects and are, in any event, inconvenient in use.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved thread cutting attachment for sewing machines which the operator may use conveniently and quickly to sever the thread or threads at the end of a stitching operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood by reference to the following specification and the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a view in perspective illustrating a portion of a sewing machine with the attachment applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of a sew ing machine, showing the manner in which the attachment is used;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the attachment; and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4 drawn to a larger scale.

Referring to the drawing, 5 indicates the bed and 5 the head of a sewing machine, the details of which form no part of the present invention. Any conventional sewing machine may be employed, and the attachment as hereinafter described may be secured thereto and used in the manner indicated to accomplish the purpose of the invention.

In the sewing machine, the needle bar 1 carries a needle 8 which is reciprocated in the customary manner. Athread 9 passes through the needle and co-operates with a second thread carried by the shuttle (not shown) to efiect the stitching. A presser foot bar it carries the presser foot H, which engages the fabric during the sewing operation.

The attachment consists of an arm [2 having a leg [3 which is adapted to be secured to the presser foot bar l by means of a screw [4 or other convenient fastening means. The arm l2 has a tongue formed by slitting the metal of the arm, as indicated in the drawing. The tongue i5 is bent away from the arm l2, forming, with the bent end N3 of the arm, a jaw to receive the thread. The lower edge I? of the tongue is somewhat longer than the upper edge l8, and

edge will tend to be displaced from the plane of the arm slightly more than the upper edge.

As indicated in Fig. 2, when the seam IS in the fabric 20 has been completed, the threads 2| and 22 forming the seam are still connected to the source of thread in the needle 8 and in the shuttle, and must be severed. To accomplish this, the fabric is moved to the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, the threads 2| and 22 entering the jaw between the tongue l5 and the bent end [6. The lower edge ll of the tongue grips the thread which is drawn over the upper edge l8 of the tongue, and the thread is readily severed by engagement with the upper edge [8. This edge need not be a knife edge, since the thread is readily cut by contact with the edge of the metal formed in striking the tongue from the arm I2. Should this edge become dulled, it is necessary merely to bend the tongue l5 outwardly to a slight extent, bringing a fresh surface of the edge into play so that the cutting is accomplished as readily as before. By reason of the gripping action of the lower edge ll of the tongue l5, when the thread is drawn between the tongue and the arm I2, the thread may be quickly severed by merely inserting it between the tongue l5 and the arm l2 in the manner described and illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The operation is convenient and can be carried out quickly so that the operator can cut the threads and begin a new sewing operation immediately.

Various changes may be made in the details of the structure as described without departing from the invention or sacrificing the advantages thereof.

I claim:

1. A thread-cutting attachment for sewing machines comprising an arm, a tongue struck from the body of the arm and having the tip thereof bent outwardly, forming with the arm a thread-receiving jaw, the base of the tongue remaining integral with the arm, the lower edge of the tongue co-operating with the contiguous edge of the arm to grip a thread drawn through the jaw, and the upper edge of the tongue serving to sever the thread.

2. A thread-cutting attachment for sewing machines comprising an arm, a tongue struck from the body of the arm and having the tip thereof bent outwardly forming with the arm a thread-receiving jaw, the base of the tongue remaining integral with the arm, the lower edge of the tongue being longer than the upper edge hence at a given'distance from the tip the lower 86 and co-operating with the contiguous edge or the arm to grip a thread drawn through the jaw and the upper edge of the tongue and the contiguous edge of the arm serving to sever the thread.

3. A thread-cutting attachment for sewing machines comprising an arm, a tongue struck from the body of the arm and having the tip thereof bent outwardly forming with the arm a thread-receiving jaw, the base of the tongue remaining integral; with the arm, and the. portion of the tongue between the base and tip remaining substantially in the plane: of said arm, the lower edge of the tongue co-operating with the contiguous edge of the arm to grip SRthI'GEJddIK-WJL through the jaw, and the upper edge, of the 15 2,476,161

4 tongue serving to sever the thread, the tongue being adjustable by bending with respect to the arm to present a fresh cutting edge to the thread.

THOMAS E. CARROLL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file, oi this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,784,258 Tynan Dec. 9, 1930 2295:1911; Runge Sept. 15, 1942 Silverman July 12, 1949 

